Marybeth Devlin speaks out against PZP

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Protect Mustangs

Marybeth Devlin responds to PZP SPIN in High Country News titled: PZP: Where hope, science and mustangs meet http://www.hcn.org/articles/pzp-where-hope-science-and-mustangs-meet

Ms. Wilder is disinformed. PZP does not “cause eggs to reject sperm.” That hypothesis has been disproved. PZP is a registered pesticide whose mechanism-of-action is to cause auto-immune disease. PZP tricks the immune system into producing antibodies that target and attack the ovaries. PZP’s antibodies cause the mare to suffer ovarian dystrophy, oophoritis (inflammation of the ovaries), ovarian cysts, destruction of oocytes in growing follicles, and depletion of resting follicles. Not surprisingly, estrogen levels drop markedly as the ovaries are slowly destroyed. But PZP’s adverse effects are not limited to the individual animal. As a recent study — which included the Little Book Cliffs, Colorado herd and the McCullough Peaks, Wyoming herd — found, PZP extends the birthing season to nearly year-round. Out-of-season births put the life of the foals and the mares at risk. Further, the same study disclosed that the pesticide causes a delay lasting 411.3 days (1.13 years) per each year-of-treatment before mares recover their fertility after suspension of PZP. However, some mares never recover — they are left permanently sterile, and quickly too. Indeed, yet another study found that sterility could occur in some mares from just three years of PZP injections or from just one treatment if the pesticide were given to a filly before she reached puberty. Because PZP messes with the immune system, it ironically works “best” — sterilizes faster — if the mare has a strong immune system. But, conversely, PZP may not work at all in mares whose immune function is weak or depressed. So, the pesticide discriminates against the very horses that Nature has best equipped for survival against disease while favoring and selecting for the immuno-compromised. Worse yet, tests performed via radioimmunoassay indicated that PZP antibodies are transferred from mother to young via the placenta and milk. The transferred antibodies cross-react with and bind to the zonae pellucidae of female offspring, as demonstrated by immunofluorescent techniques.

But there is no need for PZP or any other population-reduction measures. BLM’s wild-horse overpopulation “data” is a fraud. Reviews of BLM’s year-to-year growth-estimates for various herds disclosed biologically-impossible growth-rates. For instance, just recently in Oregon, BLM claimed that the famous Kiger herd’s population grew from 21 horses to 156 horses in just four years — an increase of 643%. Stealthily inserting bogus birth-rates into the data, then wrongly equating the birth-rate with the population growth-rate, and failing to factor in the mortality-rate — that is how BLM creates the false impression of a population-explosion. Another ruse BLM employs is restricting maximum herd-size below minimum-viable herd-size. Then, whenever a herd is made to appear — via false figures — to exceed the arbitrary management level, BLM screams “excess!” and declares an immediate need for mass-removals and sterilizations. It should be noted that more than 70% of the herds are “managed” below minimum-viable size, including Spring Creek Basin.

Scandal Unfolds: Rare Water Canyon foals are up for adoption before the Gonacon™ experiment wrecks havoc in the herd

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

We are updating this page so check back for more information as the scandal unfolds. Updates are being posted towards the bottom.

Save the young victims of the cruel experiment!

Wild foals captured from the Water Canyon portion of the Antelope Herd Management Area in eastern Nevada are up for adoption. They are the victims of a roundup to EXPERIMENT on wild horses with GONACON™. Nine weanlings and two yearlings are being held together at the National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley, north of Reno, Nevada. They need to be saved now and hopefully in pairs because this is so painful for them to have lost their families!

The wild horses are available for walk-up adoption from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays. All of the horses have received vaccinations and their bloodwork is completed. Brand inspections will be performed and health certificates issued on all adopted horses.

Applications are available for download (.pdf) at http://on.doi.gov/1A0eAfw.

For more information, contact Jeremy Wilhelm, BLM public contact person, at (775) 475-2222.

The GONACON™ EXPERIMENT is being humane-washed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and their partners. They are perpetrating the overpopulation myth when in truth America’s wild horses are underpopulated. In their experiment they are releasing only a fraction.

Alleged wild horse advocate, Jeannie Nations, is the Project Coordinator (unpaid volunteer) of the experiment. Nations was also proposing PZP experiments as a BLM RAC member in October 2014 as you see here: http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/nv/resources/racs/ne_rac/meeting_presentations.Par.34609.File.dat/14-10-16-negb-jnations-proposal.pdf

Nations says, “I wanted to mention also, that we did a quick online petition for about 6 days with American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign regarding this same proposal and we had over 19,000 people from all around the country and the world in favor of doing this pilot program.This just goes to show how badly people want a positive change in wild horse management!

Do people realize what they are signing and supporting when they sign petitions put out by the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign? Are they reading the whole document or just reading the first paragraph and clicking quickly to add their name?

Why did the BLM take the Spin Dr.’s push for fertility control and turn it into an EXPERIMENT with GONACON™? It’s a slippery slope when “advocates” partner up with BLM for fertility control . . . American herds are becoming nonviable and will be wiped out.

GONCACON™ is an immunocontraceptive that Big Pharma calls a “vaccine“. Yet fertility is not a disease so calling it a vaccine doesn’t make sense. It is registered with the EPA as a restricted use pesticide. http://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/registration/fs_PC-116800_01-Sep-09.pdf

GONACON™ like PZP is an EPA restricted use pesticide (see photo below). The BLM and their supporters are experimenting on America’s wild horses because the Feds see them as PESTS and want to dispose of them slowly . . . They hope the public won’t realize what’s happening.

Now it’s clear that some alleged “wild horse advocates” pushing fertility control, like PZP and GONACON™, are helping BLM not wild horses.

See who is involved in this experiment and know what exactly they are doing: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office/blm_programs/wild_horses_and_burros/Water_Canyon_Growth_Suppression_Pilot_Program.html

Update 5:27 pm PST: Why is the BLM’s Project Coordinator (volunteer) of the GONACON™ EXPERIMENT and BLM RAC member now raising money for her alleged Angels Acres Rescue to adopt the “Lucky 11” as she calls them? Yes she is calling the victims of this horrible GONACON™ EXPERIMENT and roundup “Lucky”.

Ask yourself if this:

Why didn’t the well funded wild horse preservation groups fight in court to stop the Water Canyon roundup?

Was this just another opportunity to get more donor data by sending out an online petition but do nothing to stop the roundup?

Is it because they are in with BLM, want more names on their email lists to push for fertility control?

Follow the money . . .

Photos from BLM taken by the experiment’s project coordinator (volunteer) Jeannie Nations in public domain

Elko Daily News reports on the GONACON™ EXPERIMENT: http://elkodaily.com/lifestyles/nature-notes-wild-horse-contraception-research/article_8da74080-34c0-5f7a-8ba9-65578d5254b4.html

November 08, 2015 5:45 am • LARRY HYSLOP
A research project north of Ely will look at maintaining a stable wild horse population using a contraceptive. The goal is to treat mares with Gonacon, a commercial contraceptive, and then watch them over several years to make sure the project mares do not produce foals.

Jeanne Nations is a volunteer project coordinator who lives in the area, frequently visits the horses and knows most by sight. She will handle the on-site adoptions and help Ben Noyes, in charge of the project, and the Wild Horse Specialist in the BLM Ely District Office. Jeanne said if this research is successful, she hopes it could help other areas provide a more humane way to keep wild horse populations under control.

The Northeastern Nevada Resource Advisory Council recently visited the project site, after submitting a letter to the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program supporting Jeanne’s project.

The research site is north of Ely, on a narrow strip of public land 12-15 miles long between U.S. Highway 93 and the Schell Creek Range. A fairly isolated group of 66 wild horses currently live in this part of the Antelope Herd Management Area, which has 803 wild horses with an Appropriate Management Level of 324. The nearest other wild horses to this project area are over the mountains to the east.

Trapping has begun and Ben has gathered 35 horses so far. All the rest of the area horses will be trapped this fall. Ben feels he can capture all the area horses using water and bait trapping but will use other techniques if needed.

While the last few members of the Council were visiting the trap site, seven horses came into the trap to eat hay and drink water, showing they are quite comfortable with the trap.

About 30 horses will be part of the project, with the rest removed from the area. It is hoped on-site adoptions will take most of the removed horses but any remaining will be taken to holding areas. People interested in adoption can email Jeanne at jnphotography@hughes.net.

The project horses kept on the site will consist of 15 stallions and 15 mares, having an assortment of ages. After capture, mares will be treated with Gonacon and freeze branded. DNA samples will be collected from all horses. The problem then is the mares must receive a booster 30 days later, so all mares and some of the stallions will be kept in holding pens.
After the 30 days, the horses will be released back into their home range. Ben feels the horses should have no problem re-habituating to their open range after a month of daily hay and abundant water.

Ben and Jeanne will keep an eye on the mares and watch them for pregnancies. The mares will need to be gathered again in two years to receive another booster.

There is a good chance the project mares are now pregnant and will produce foals the first year. However, these treatments should keep the mares from becoming pregnant again during the length of the project. After the project ends, it is hoped the mares will then become pregnant. Other horses may cross the mountains to join this group but they will not throw off the research since only the branded mares will be watched.

Links of interest:

Read Jack Ferm’s The BLM wild horse roundup continues: follow the money for a good overview of the situation: http://suindependent.com/blm-wild-horse-roundup-continues/

and his piece Why is the BLM killing wild horses? http://suindependent.com/blm-killing-wild-horses/

Protect Mustangs is an organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses.

PZP Study Raises Concerns for Use on Wild Horses

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

The War on Wild Horses

By Laurie Dixon of Horsetalk

Behavior Changes not Considered in Past Studies

Research indicates the long-term horse contraceptive, porcine zona pellucida (PZP), extends the breeding season in wild horses, raising concerns over the social consequences of the drug on herds.

PZP, which is derived from pig eggs, is increasingly being used in wild horse herds in the United States in a bid to slow down the growth in numbers.

Research published in the open-access journal, PLos ONE, reported on a study of wild horses living on Shackleford Banks, in North Carolina, covering four years before contraceptive management to eight years after contraceptive management with PZP.

The Princeton University researchers studied the foaling data, and found that since the contraception programme began in January 2000, foaling has occurred over a significantly broader range than it had before the programme.

“For a gregarious species such as the horse, the extension of reproductive cycling into the fall [autumn] months has important social consequences, including decreased group stability and the extension of male reproductive behaviour,” the researchers wrote.

“In addition, reproductive cycling into the fall months could have long-term effects on foal survivorship.

“Managers should consider these factors before enacting immunocontraceptive programmes in new populations. We suggest minor alterations to management strategies to help alleviate such unintended effects in new populations.”

The authors noted that while physiological effects of PZP had been well studied in horses, little was known about PZP’s effects on the scheduling of reproductive cycling.

They said recent behavioural research had suggested that horses receiving PZP extended the receptive breeding period into what is normally the non-breeding season. Their research into the Shackleford horses suggested this was the case.

Their study data centred around 65 births from 45 mares in the four years before PZP’s use by the National Park Service on the Shackleford horses, and 65 births from 45 mares following its use.

The researchers, Cassandra Nuñez, James Adelman and Daniel Rubenstein, from the university’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, noted that immunocontraceptive management has become increasingly popular as culling programmes were seldom well-received by the general public.

In wild horse societies, the harem is the core social group, consisting of usually one, but sometimes two or three harem males, one or several females, and their offspring.

Harem males will sometimes fight to acquire mares from other groups, but stallions almost always retain their mares.

In temperate environments, food availability is lower during the fall and winter months and free-ranging horses will alter their activity to maximise food intake and reduce energy costs. Mares are typically not ovulating at this time and sexual behaviour in males is largely absent.

“On Shackleford Banks, increased reproductive behaviour in the post-breeding season by mares has resulted in increased male attentiveness,” the authors noted.

“Such behaviour (by males) has been shown to restrict the movement of females, thus reducing their grazing efficiency.

“The occurrence of this behaviour during a time of year when animals typically increase group spread to acquire adequate forage, represents a change in behaviour fundamental to the animals’ survival,” the researchers said.

“Offspring conceived during the post-breeding season are likely subject to decreased resource availability as lower quality forage can affect mares’ ability to produce sufficient milk.”

The researchers said breeding in the Shackleford herd normally occurred from March through August, with most births occurring in April and May.

“After contraception management, foaling occurred over a broader range of months than before contraception management,” they noted.

On average, current PZP recipients gave birth 3.36 months later than did pre-contraception mares.

Mares that had received PZP earlier in their lifetime, but not during the year of conception (prior recipients), gave birth 0.90 months later than pre-contraception mares on average.

Non-recipient mares that never received PZP themselves, but gave birth after the general population was managed with PZP, gave birth 1.01 months later than pre-contraception mares on average.

This translated into current PZP recipients giving birth 2.34 months later than non-recipient animals and 2.46 months later than prior recipients.

“This study provides the first evidence that mares treated with PZP can extend ovulatory cycling beyond the normal breeding season.

“This suggests that populations of wild ungulates can vary in their response to similar contraceptive treatment. Careful consideration of baseline population dynamics should be made prior to treatment in order to fully assess possible PZP effects.”

They continued: “Because feral horses are highly social, such changes can have cascading effects on other group members and throughout the population.

“Our research has shown that after contraception management, PZP recipients both attract and initiate more instances of reproductive behaviour and are more often the harem male’s nearest neighbour during the fall/winter, indicating that group spreads are reduced.

“Such changes represent an increase in energy expenditure and a potential decrease in nutrient intake during a time of year when sufficient energy reserves are at a premium.

“Moreover, early foal development in unmanaged populations typically occurs during the spring and summer when resources are plentiful. Offspring born in the fall/winter months face nutritional and thermoregulatory challenges not experienced by their counterparts born during the normal foaling season, potentially making developmental benchmarks difficult to achieve.”

They noted that such predictions are not consistent with data from Assateague Island, where a study of mares showed increased survival, only minimal physiological side effects, and no behavioural or demographic changes.

“In addition, foal survival does not differ between foals born in or out of the normal foaling season. However, on Shackleford Banks, recipient mares change groups more often, elicit and receive more instances of reproductive behaviour, and receive more harassment from harem males.

Click (HERE) to read the full story.

Cross-posted for educational purposes

BREAKING NEWS: Wild Horses and burros are protected from slaughter!

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

Wild horses & Burros under federal jurisdiction are safe for now

“We are very grateful wild horses and burros, under federal jurisdiction, will receive protections from slaughter in 2016. They are underpopulated on public land after all the taxpayer funded roundups. But the battle isn’t over. We want our national icons of freedom to be protected from forced drugging with pesticides such as PZP for fertility control or other forms of sterilization. Wild horses and burros are an essential part of the thriving natural ecological balance in the West. We must save them for future generations.” — Anne Novak, Executive Director of Protect Mustangs

“Appropriations herein made shall not be available for the destruction of healthy, unadopted, wild horses and burros in the care of the Bureau or its contractors or for the sale of wild horses and burros that results in their destruction for processing into commercial products.” Page: 714-715 of the Omnibus. http://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20151214/CPRT-114-HPRT-RU00-SAHR2029-AMNT1final.pdf

We are grateful to Senator Tom Udall, Victoria McCullough for bringing this to the appropriations bill and so thankful to the White House for their approval. A big thank you to the and the thousands of advocates who have made this happen by all your hard work. Bless you!

Links of interest:

NV Judge Stops BLM Roundup Of Famous Mustang Herd ‘The Misfits’

Washington Post: U.S. looking for ideas to help manage wild-horse overpopulation

Associated Press (viral): Wild-horse advocates clash over contraceptives for mustangs

PZP Pesticide Fact Sheet: http://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/pending/fs_PC-176603_01-Jan-12.pdf

www.ProtectMustangs.org

https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs

PZP Pushers are misleading the public as there is no evidence of overpopulation

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

PZP = Slow Extinction

While touted as a “vaccine,” porcine zona pellucida — PZP — is actually a perversion of a vaccine — an anti-vaccine — whose mode-of-action is to cause auto-immune disease. PZP tricks the immune system into producing antibodies that attack the ovaries, inducing ovarian dystrophy, oophoritis (inflammation of the ovaries), and ovarian cysts. Worse yet, per radioimmunoassay, the PZP antibodies are transferred from mother to young via the placenta and milk. The antibodies cross-react with and bind to the zonae pellucidae of female offspring. Although hyped as a “non-hormonal” method of birth-control, PZP causes estrogen-levels to plummet as the ovaries degenerate. Despite the manufacturer’s claim that PZP is “reversible,” its effects wear off unpredictably. In herds under PZP “management,” the birthing season extends to nearly year-round, putting the life of the foals and mares at risk. Because PZP messes with the immune system, it “works” best on the healthiest fillies and mares — those with strong immunity — ironically, rendering them sterile even with just a few treatments. Filles injected with PZP before they have reached puberty are particularly vulnerable to immediate sterilization. Conversely, PZP has little-to-no effect on fillies and mares with a weak immune system — they continue to become pregnant. Thus, a herd being treated with PZP is undergoing selective breeding for low immunity, which puts the population at risk for disease — and ultimately, extinction. ~Marybeth Devlin, member of The Facebook Forum on PZP for Wild Horses and Burros.

Stop the war on wild horses

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

The War on Wild Horses

Icons of freedom are under attack

Take action against the war on wild horses by contacting your congressional representative today. Request an immediate moratorium on roundups before the herds are wiped out and symbols of the American spirit are trafficked to slaughter.

The evidence is in they are being sold to slaughter violating the public trust and the news story is going viral.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been selling America’s protected wild horses by the truckload to kill buyers like Tom Davis, as revealed in the Inspector General’s report released October 23rd

Please sign and share the petition to increase the fine for trafficking a wild horse to slaughter to $50,000. Since kill buyers are motivated by profit, the fines need to increase to make buying wild horses and selling them to slaughter a risky and unprofitable business.

The BLM has plans to sterilize herds to manage them to extinction. This is a gross violation of the Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act and must be stopped. How? We need to start rallying to raise public awareness, write letters and meet with elected officials to demand the BLM stop managing wild horses to extinction. The clock is ticking . . .

Some mustang groups have bought into a belief that fertility control drugs like PZP made from slaughterhouse pig ovaries and others are needed to “control” population when the truth is there aren’t enough wild horses left on public land that has been ravaged by livestock overgrazing. Before you agree to PZP ask yourself, “Are there really too many wild horses left on public land?”

America’s wild horses are an indigenous species that must be protected to fill their niche in the ecosystem and inspire future generations with their beauty and spirit. Take action today!

Links of interest™

Viral news story on wild horses sold to slaughter: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/10/24/investigation-says-buyer-shipped-horses-killed-meat-mexico/74547060/

Inspector General’s report: https://www.doioig.gov/reports/investigative-report-bureau-land-management-wild-horse-buyer

Forum on PZP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ForumPZPWildHorsesBurros

Petition for a Moratorium on Roundups: https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-urgent-grant-a-10-year-moratorium-on-wild-horse-roundups-for-recovery-and-studies

Petition to Stop Wild Horse Trafficking: https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-u-s-senate-u-s-house-of-representatives-increase-fines-to-50-000-per-mustang-for-selling-american-wild-horses-to-slaughter

Protect Mustangs on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs

Protect Mustangs: http://protectmustangs.org

Complaint to the Office of the Inspector General regarding BLM killing 28 wild horses near Las Vegas

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

To the Office of the Inspector General at the United States Department of Interior

Dear Sirs,

We officially request a full investigation into the management of wild horses and land use planning 6 years before the roundup, the roundup itself, feeding, veterinary care and killing of the 28 Cold Creek wild horses who had become skinny.

Why didn’t the BLM help these federally protected wild horses get the forage they needed earlier?
Why didn’t the BLM move the native wild horses up to areas with more forage?
What happened to their forage?
What about the livestock grazing permits? (see attached)
What organizations were pushing for BLM to use PZP, a controversial EPA restricted use pesticide for “birth control”–made from slaughterhouse pig ovaries–that sterilizes after multiple use? http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/pending/fs_PC-176603_01-Jan-12.pdf
Are the wild horses getting pushed out and killed as part of the New Energy Frontier–to put massive solar farms on fragile desert land and therefore impacting wildlife? https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/lup/2900/49868/54310/LV-RMP_Poster_Renewable_Energy.pdf
Why aren’t the Cold Creek wild horses getting their fair share of the land that is for their principal but not exclusive use according to the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse & Burro Protection Act?
Why is the agency appointed “appropriate management level” (AML) for wild horses so low when a genetically viable herd needs more members?
Why is the BLM limiting access to the public to bare witness to this cruel roundup?
Was euthanasia chosen for convenience and the bottom line, pure and simple?
Did they look at the feed and labor involved vs adoptability and take the cheap and easy way out?

Rescues and members of the public would have helped bring the Cold Creek wild horses back to health if manpower was an issue. Adoption would have been simple once they healed because people know about them and cherish them.

Tourists from around the world, visiting Las Vegas, love the wild horses of the American West.

The BLM continues to roundup more beloved Cold Creek wild horses and we pray they will not kill any more but nurse them back to health.

The public is outraged.

We thank you for investigating into the wrongdoings surrounding the management, roundup and killing of 28 Cold Creek wild horses, provide transparency and shine the light of truth.

Sincerely,
Anne Novak

Anne Novak
Executive Director
Protect Mustangs
Tel./Text: 415.531.8454
Anne@ProtectMustangs.org

Read about native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAnneNovak
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs
In the news: https://newsle.com/AnneNovak

www.ProtectMustangs.org
Protect Mustangs is a nonprofit organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses.

Why does France TV 2 report mostly from the side of BLM and pro-slaughter advocates?

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

The overpopulation myth is dangerous

Recently France TV 2 came to the American West to report on the “problems” caused by the “overpopulation” of wild horses. Someone either fed them the story or they did a little research on Google about American mustangs and found the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) authoritative spin, vast website and their new America’s Mustang campaign to get their overpopulation message out, couched with pretty pictures and enticing video footage of huge herds running, helicopter roundups, etc. making news reporting easy. What foreign journalists would think the BLM is lying about wild horses chasing cows away from water sources when they have so much “factual” material out there to back up their position that there are too many wild horses?

France TV 2 reports:

From: http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/usa/video-les-chevaux-sauvages-se-reproduisent-trop-vite-un-probleme-pour-l-ouest-americain_949025.html

Synopsis Translation:

Wild horses reproduce too fast, a problem for the American West

The United States prohibits mustang slaughter but the same authorities want to limit their number to 25,000 although there are already 50,000 on the land

Mustangs are no longer welcome in the American West. Federal authorities ring the alarm for the overpopulation of wild horses on the land. There will be 150,000 in five years if nothing is done to stop their expansion. A bigger problem than the horses reproducing quickly and devouring everything on their path, according to the administration, is what is creating conflicts with certain ranchers.

2,000 horses were removed in 2015, an insufficient number

The Unites States prohibits slaughtering mustangs, but the same authorities want to limit their number to 25,000 but 50,000 mustangs are on the land. The ranchers who share the land with the wild horses won’t tolerate limited access to water sources in areas invaded by wild horses. The mustangs chase off their livestock.

In total, 2,000 chevaux were gathered in 2015, an insufficient number to reach the fixed objective, but the animal defenders call the process barbaric. Different methods have been launched without results, and that’s pushing the federal authorities to propose an award of one and a half million dollars to find a long lasting solution for the wild horse problem.

BLM’s spin dominates news report

Sadly the myths reported as truth in the France TV 2 news report were not countered effectively and the good counter points ended up in the trash. The journalists interviewed BLM staff on the range. They met with ranchers who push the overpopulation myth and are pro-slaughter–including Callie Hendricksen. They interviewed Carol Walker, photographer, legal plaintiff and board member of Wild Horse Freedom Federation at a watering hole with a lot of mustangs. The journalists reported on training at a prison program with failed adoptions being the undertone. France TV 2 seems to have heard from all sides of the issue to be fair but who were their handlers? Was it Callie Hendrickson or BLM’s staff over at their America’s Mustang campaign? The news editor crafted the story from the materials shot in the field resulting in the BLM and pro-slaughter viewpoint out in front. The whole story focused on the alleged overpopulation of wild horses in a country that prohibits slaughter with the feds offering $1.5 million to whoever find the lasting solution for population control. Sounds like the BLM pitched this story to push their heinous agenda.

The French report shows the advocacy where we are losing the battle. . . We are split. . . A portion of the advocacy is supporting the overpopulation myth and offering solutions to the false problem. Are there really too many native wild horses left in the wild?

Overpopulation must exist to justify radical zero growth fertility control measures such as PZP, castration, field spaying and slaughter

When wild horse groups support BLM’s overpopulation myth–with advocates pushing PZP as the “solution” to the “problem”–the overpopulation myth gets stronger and is eventually seen as truth. Reporting on myths as truth is a tactic used to sway public opinion–the second largest super power according to the President of the United States.

If we don’t all stand up to disprove the overpopulation myth then slaughter, sterilization and cruel roundups will be the end result.

PZP, made from slaughterhouse pig ovaries, is used for slow extermination because science proves it sterilizes after multiple use while the general public doesn’t notice. It’s a way to manage them to extinction, period. Proponents of the one foal only policy are jeopardizing survival of the species. What happens when the mare is sterilized through PZP applications and her “one foal” dies in the wild?

BLM has no accurate head counts of wild horses. The National Academy of Sciences stated in their 2013 report that there is “no evidence” of overpopulation, period.

Time to stand together

It’s time for all advocates to come together to protect wild horses. Together we are a mighty force for the wild ones.

I challenge all group leaders and advocates to put aside personal differences, break their contracts with BLM and agree to fight together to protect America’s wild horses for once and for all. Together we can do this.

Many blessings,

Anne

Anne Novak

Executive Director

www.ProtectMustangs.org

Contact@ProtectMustangs.org

Links of interest™:

France TV reports on the overpopulation problem: http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/usa/video-les-chevaux-sauvages-se-reproduisent-trop-vite-un-probleme-pour-l-ouest-americain_949025.html

U.S. looking for ideas to help manage wild-horse overpopulation (Washington Post): http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-looking-for-ideas-to-help-manage-wild-horse-overpopulation/2014/01/26/8cae7c96-84f2-11e3-9dd4-e7278db80d86_story.html?wprss=rss_national

Outrage over secret documents planning to kill or slaughter 50,000 native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=777

Petition to Defund and Stop Wild Horse Roundups: https://www.change.org/p/defund-and-stop-the-wild-horse-burro-roundups

The Atlantic reports on Callie Hendrickson’s contentious appointment to represent the public on the Wild Horse & Burro Advisory Board in 2012: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/02/the-lasso-tightens-around-americas-wild-horses/252948/

Callie Hendrickson: http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Callie-Hendrickson/277533708

EPA pesticide fact sheet on PZP: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/pending/fs_PC-176603_01-Jan-12.pdf

Comments referenced in the June 14, 2015 Salt Lake Tribune article

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Protect Mustangs



	Comments made to the BLM against giving PZP to the wild Onaqui mares in Utah Protect Mustangs, Anne Novak The public was not informed as they should have been according to NEPA of your proposal https://www.blm.gov/ut/enbb/files/Onaqui_Fertility_Control_EA_2_18_15.pdf The scoping period’s notice was hidden, and the EA’s comment-period was cut in half. These actions show a lack of transparency on the part of the BLM and mocks the public process to participate with comments. We request you start over with a full 30 day public comment period. We are against the outrageous proposal to forcibly drug any wild Onaqui mares with PZP- – the EPA restricted-use pesticide also known as ZonaStat-H. ( http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/pending/fs_PC-176603_01-Jan-12.pdf ) The drug sterilizes wild mares after multiple use and disrupts natural herd dynamics amongst other horrors. How many times has each Onaqui mare or filly been drugged previously? Drugging any wild filly under the age of 2 is barbaric. Her reproductive system has not developed completely. Forced drugging of fillies and mares until they are 6 will ruin their chances of ever producing healthy offspring who can survive the environmental changes ahead. We request you do not use PZP or any other sterilant or sterilizing procedures on the Onaqui mares for fertility control or for any other reason. Experimentation and roundups must stop now. Roundups increase global warming and must stop immediately. The vehicles and aircrafts used to implement the proposed PZP programs also increase global warming as well as harm the fragile ecosystem on the Onaqui herd management area. We endorse the no action alternative and ask that you do not remove any Onaqui wild horses as their population numbers are too low now. Land-use plans should be modified to have a higher AML ensuring herd survival and genetic variability with predators such as mountain lions protected. Holistic management should be used from this day forward for recovery and to adhere to the minimum-feasible-management requirement of the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act. Our members enjoy observing, filming and photographing the Onaqui herd and would be devastated if the mares or fillies would receive PZP or any other sterilizing agent that will ruin natural herd behavior and the survival of the herd.

From: http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/ut/natural_resources/wild_horses_and_burros/onaqui.Par.61788.File.dat/onaqui%20fertility%20control%20EA_4-30-15.pdfReferenced in the Salt Lake Tribune June 14, 2015: http://www.sltrib.com/home/2562089-155/blm-will-dart-horses-in-attempt

#TAKEACTION Comments are needed to save wild horses and due by Monday June 15th

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Protect Mustangs

The BLM’s HORRIBLE project goal is to maintain a population of only native 25-30 wild horses within the Water Canyon portion of the Antelope HMA. The current estimated population is only 66 wild horses.

Under the proposal, the BLM would capture the horses through bait and water trapping or by helicopter roundup, and treat and release only 25-30 wild horses back into the project area. Mares selected for release would be treated with PZP-22, a time-release pesticide for birth control (made from slaughterhouse pig ovaries) with an expected efficacy of about two years, despite the fact that it sterilizes after multiple use. The mares would be re-treated every 20-24 months and monitored to determine treatment effectiveness.

Despite the current low population, BLM trumps up allegations of “excess wild horses” to justify a waste of tax dollars and permanently remove traumatized herd members by offering them to the public through a trap site adoption.

You can read the proposal documents here: https://www.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=61903

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District, Schell Field Office is soliciting public comment on the Water Canyon Wild Horse Growth Suppression Pilot Program Preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA). The Preliminary EA (DOI-BLM-NV-L020-2015-0014) was made available for review and comment on Friday, May 15, 2015. The 30-day comment period concludes Monday, June 15, 2015.

Comments will be accepted for 30 days until June 15, 2015. Interested individuals should address all written comments to the BLM Ely District Office, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301, Attn: Paul E. Podborny, Schell Field Manager, or fax them to Podborny at (775) 289-1910. Comments may also be submitted electronically at blm_nv_water_canyon@blm.gov or comment throught the NEPA Register. Email comments sent to any other email address will not be considered.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time.

The EA analyzes a proposal to conduct a pilot project to gather, and treat and release, as well as remove excess wild horses from inside the Water Canyon area, located within the Antelope Herd Management Area (HMA), about 60 miles north of Ely, Nevada.

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